What Kind of Photographer Are You: Documenter or Creator?

You know you are a photographer, right? But do you know what kind of photographer you are? Are you a creator, or does documenter better describe your photography approach? Do you even know what the difference is? Or even what I’m talking about?

Let’s dive right in then.

This was the best adventure yet, she thought, as she listened to the musical click of her camera’s shutter. It was the 10th photo of a, so far, only 20-minute hike through the rolling hills of Brown County, IN. Caroline loved to go on weekly photography walks—‘adventures‘ as she called them—through the woods of her home county. And what better time to do so than in the peak of fall when the rolling hills were alive with a rainbow of colors: from green to yellow, to orange, to brilliant red—she didn’t even mind the occasional drab-colored tree.

As she was nearing her final destination for the day, the top of the highest hill, her eye caught the form of a deer in the clearing 30 yards ahead. Immediately she became as the trees. The silhouette of the deer, with its head raised against the late afternoon sky, was like a loaded gun waiting for action, and she did not want to become the cause of a premature release (until she was ready, that is). Slowly she began inching her camera toward her eye, while at the same time considering what combination of lighting and composition would be the most compelling. With her camera level and settings ready, another compelling photo was added to her collection.

She continued on to the summit of the hill she was on. It was here that she had planned to take a creative photo. There was a bench on the top, overlooking a sweeping valley beyond, which ran between two hills: one on the right and one on the left. They were wrapped in tree foliage of diverse colors, glowing translucent in the evening sun. It was upon this setting that she envisioned a photo of herself, taken from behind, sitting on the bench and silhouetted against the glowing valley “drinking in the hills.” To achieve this with only herself, she set up her mini travel tripod on a rock behind, then using a 10-sec self-timer, got in position for the photo.

There were two different capturing techniques used here: documenting and capturing.

So how do you know which photography method to use?

Let me help you decide by defining each in a little more depth.

Capturing Memories (aka The Quick Documentation)

Documentation can be further subdivided: quick documentation and thoughtful documentation. When Caroline took the time to think about the scene and how to capture the essence of what made it stand out she was using thoughtful documentation. A quick capture, on the other hand, would have seen the unexpected deer and taken a hasty impulse capture. Yes, it would have been an accurate portrayal of the deer in front of her, but it would have been just that, only a memory. And with little forethought to the quality of its composition, lighting, or subject placement, her photo would have suffered from lack of interest and enduring quality.

This is what a lot of smartphone photographers do. They see a cool shot, and with little thought for anything else other than the subject and a little framing, they snap. Or, and this is a big one, you are at a family gathering and it is nearing the end when everyone departs. You quick ask everyone to gather around for a picture. Presto, you’ve captured memories—howbeit limited memories. No real expressions were captured—only plastered smiles.

With the modern advent of digital cameras and every smartphone having a decent camera, taking pictures has never been so easy. Nothing like taking tons of shots with the thought of deleting the bad ones later. In reality though, this seldom happens. And this has led to the sloppy approach of point-and-shoot.

Please note, I’m am not saying there isn’t a purpose for this kind of photography, or that you should always use a real camera, or that you shouldn’t attempt any family photo without significant forethought.

There is a real and legitimate purpose for this kind of photography. You are capturing real people. And people, even if their expressions are not genuine or they’re not doing something very interesting, because of the fact that they are people, still present valuable memories.

What I do suggest is that you take a little time to analyze the surroundings. A few extra minutes of thinking is completely worth the extra effort for a photo that is worth more than just its memory value, but is also of valuable quality.

Even though it is easy to point the camera and take the shot, please don’t. Your family and friends will thank you for it.

Thoughtful Documenter (or Creative Documenter)

You can think of a thoughtful documenter as a serious photographer with a serious camera. But this does not limit it to the type of camera. Nor does it limit it to only those who’ve taken photography courses.

It is someone who is serious about taking quality photos. Someone who possesses an analytical mind for the implied meanings in photographs. Someone who cares about details when it comes to what to or what not to include in each shot.

It was because Caroline took the extra effort to compose the shot, even though she was pressured to quickly take the shot before her window of opportunity vanished, and even more, to try to bring out her interpretation of the experience in her photo, that made it a thoughtful or creative documentation.

But if you’re not a creative photographer, and you don’t know how to bring out your perspective in your photography, what can you do about it?

It takes knowledge, but it also takes thinking outside the box. The kind of thinking that observes the normal in a new light, and looks for ways to capture the frequently-photographed in a unique and, as yet, untried way.

To get you started, here is my simple 4-step photographer’s thought process. Use this when trying to understand and capture what stands out to you in a scene.

1. The Narrative:

What are you trying to capture? Your goal is to come up with a narrative for your story. What caught your eye in the first place? If you took a picture now, how effectively would it represent the story? Remember a (good) picture is worth a thousand words.

“I see a mess of plants and produce thrown out. Hmm…what can I do with a pile of forgotten mess? I think I know…”

2. To Include/Not To Include:

What is your subject(s)?

• Based on the story you are telling, which key elements would advance the narrative? Perhaps, it would actually be better to leave some of those out?
• Are there elements that would distract from the main subject? Would leaving this element in cause the viewer’s eye to wander contrary to the desired eye flow?
• Think about leaving things in. Would leaving something in add suspense, or mystery, to my story?

“…I really like those standing stalks…”

3. The Composition:

Now that you know your storyline and which elements you’ll use to tell it, think about ways to frame them that will strengthen or weaken the narrative.

Start with the rules of composition:

• Rule of thirds
• .Pi

But don’t feel limited to only these rules—they are just guides, not the law.

• Think about space – positive and negative
• Perspective – try different angles

4. Lighting:

When I say lighting, I’m referring to the intensity and direction of light, not so much global exposure. This is because with the modern technology we have today it is very easy to fix exposure that is off by a little (even greater amounts).

• Intensity – In terms of overcast or sunny, think about the harsh shadows of sun vs. the even lighting of overcast.
• Directional – Is the sun straight overhead? Would it be better if it was coming from the west? Can you wait until later in the day?
• Exposure (major shifts) – Try overexposing the subject(s) while properly exposing the background, or try blowing out the background for a unique creative look.

Finally, take the shot!

“Ta Da: a picture entitled ‘Forgotten Harvest.'”

After you’ve completed your photograph, make sure to get feedback from other people. Family and friends are fine. But if you want honest feedback, find people who don’t know you very well—who don’t have a social obligation to you. Sometimes their feedback can hurt, but it is for your good. Let it shape you, not discourage you. Getting feedback is one of the most important things you can do to improve your ability to take truly great photos.

Capturing for an idea (purpose)

Capturing for a purpose starts with an idea and looks for the correct elements to bring the idea—the blueprint—to life. Unlike creative documentation, where you discover something that catches your attention, in capturing for an idea you are, instead, looking for precise and specific elements that will bring your idea to fruition.

The setting upon which the conflict will take place.

A few of the combatants.

Ah, something unusual is going to happen!

The final masterpiece: “Thanksgiving Tom Has Other Ideas”

As you can see, it starts with an idea. And the only way to bring this idea to fruition was to take multiple part photos and then combine them in photo editing software.

However, this is a dramatic example—you can still do a planned photo without fancy composite techniques. In fact, I don’t even expect you to take more than one photo for each idea.

“Seasons Of Change”

A good way of thinking about this method is looking for the right arrangement of elements, or pre-arranging your photo’s “set” (like a movie set) in accordance with your plan. Of course, this presupposes that you actually have a plan!?

You don’t need to draw every idea out on paper either—which I didn’t do in this one—but it does help to materialize exactly what you’re envisioning.

But your photos could be better still! You could write out a short description for why you took them. This will give your audience a context–or as I like to say, the purpose–for why you created them. And knowing this context gives the viewer a greater appreciation of your work. They will get your purpose for creating the photo.

Each of the previous photos has a purpose. For example, in the “Thanksgiving Tom Has Other Ideas” photo, the title places the viewer’s mind within the correct context to fully understand the photo, while the photo makes the story real so they can experience it themselves. It has an emotional appeal that people can relate to. Next time they approach the turkey pen with Thanksgiving dinner on their mind (for those who still do), they will now have a grin on their face. It also does what any good story does: places them within the mind of the story’s subject, allowing them to be right there experiencing it themselves.

Conclusion

Both documenting and creating are used by good photographers and both are completely valid approaches to photography. Whether you prefer taking quick documentations or would like to try your hand at creating, keep taking pictures. But most of all, think about what you are photographing. What is it that caught your eye in the first place? Once you’ve discovered that, go for it. Go for it in all its creative variations.